#18. Bold Moves, Big Outcomes 🚀

Key Insights on Building Startups, Hiring Talent & Landing Jobs

Hello, I’m Saurabh Tandon, and welcome to this week’s edition of More than Buzzwords.

This week, we’re diving into actionable insights that can help you grow—whether you're just stepping into the world of entrepreneurship or you're a seasoned founder navigating the challenges of scaling a business.

In today’s edition, you’ll find:
✴️ Practical career growth insights: High-impact lessons from industry leaders to help you make smarter decisions.
✴️ Startup spotlight: A closer look at how Cashfree Payments is transforming digital payments for businesses across India.
✴️ Podcast learnings: Key takeaways from an interesting conversation about why hiring and culture are critical for startup success.

So, let’s get started and uncover the ideas, strategies, and stories that can help you move the needle in your professional journey! 💫

Wisdom from Startup Veterans

X.com (formerly Twitter) is a hub of wisdom from top industry leaders and changemakers worldwide. I love to scroll through the platform to gain valuable insights, stay updated on trends, and discover tools I never knew existed.

Now, I’ve made it my mission to share a weekly dose of insights from top entrepreneurs and professionals with my readers.

Goldmine Insights for Entrepreneurs at all stages

Today’s tweets are for entrepreneurs striving to turn an idea into a tangible product that could revolutionize the market. These tweets offer fresh perspectives, meaningful advice, and actionable insights. And they’re not just useful for budding entrepreneurs—they’re valuable for experienced founders, professionals, and leaders alike. After all, there’s always something new to learn.

1. Did you just graduate from college or feel stuck in a job that doesn’t align with your values and aspirations? The first tweet is especially useful for you and could serve as a stepping stone on your journey to becoming a visionary entrepreneur.

This tweet emphasizes that no matter where you are in your journey, the first step is simply to take action. You don’t need a fancy degree, massive funds, or prior experience—just a willingness to learn, curiosity, and, most importantly, consistency.

Every expert and business leader was once a beginner, and every business giant started as just an idea. The key is to start, learn, and iterate. Trust me, your future self will thank you for taking that first step today. 🚀

2. Entrepreneurs and founders don’t just see businesses—they analyze them deeply. They ask the right questions, break down costs, and strategically uncover opportunities. The next tweet presents an exercise that will change the way you view the world and the countless opportunities it holds. Consider this your 'Challenge of the Week.'

   

   This is a crisp version of an insightful and elaborate tweet by Nick Huber (an entrepreneur and a real-estate investor).
   

   The exercise he suggests isn’t just about observation– it’s about training your mind to think like an entrepreneur. By deeply analyzing businesses around you, you start to understand what makes them tick, what challenges they face, and what opportunities exist for you.

   This practice is going to be extremely helpful for budding founders because it helps spot inefficiencies, identify scalable ideas, and understand the difference between a thriving business and a struggling one. With time, this mindset shift can help you make smarter decisions about where to invest your time, energy, and resources. ⌛
   

3. A great marketer = a successful founder.

Mastering marketing isn’t just about promoting a product—it’s about reaching the right audience efficiently and driving real results. Whether you're just starting out or scaling up, these marketing cheat codes will help you market smarter from day one and accelerate your business growth.

This is a power-packed, distilled version of a game-changing tweet by Neil Patel, a founder and an author. Marketing isn’t just about ads or content—it’s about strategy, psychology, and execution. These cheat codes reveal the nuances that separate struggling businesses from those that scale effortlessly. 📈

The biggest takeaway? Leverage every channel wisely (be it email or SEO), focus on conversions, and always think long-term. Marketing isn’t a one-size-fits-all game, but understanding these principles will set you apart.

4. The next tweet cuts through the fluff and lays out brutal yet valuable startup lessons that can save you years of mistakes and regrets. No matter whether you’re planning to start your first venture, are an early-stage founder or have been in this demanding role for years, these are the insights you can’t afford to ignore. 👇

These seven insights stood out to me from a powerful thread by John Rush, a serial entrepreneur and software developer behind multiple successful startups. His advice comes from years of experience—learning, unlearning, and refining what truly works.

Key takeaway?
↪️Success often comes down to simple, no-nonsense fundamentals.
↪️Build what people want, iterate fast, and focus on growth over perfection.

Whether you're launching your first startup or scaling an existing one, these principles remain timeless. Execution beats over-planning, and momentum matters more than waiting for the perfect strategy. The faster you learn, the faster you win.

Great ideas and solid execution drive a business, but efficient money management can determine its long-term success. Let’s spotlight a startup that’s simplifying payments and helping businesses scale with ease.

Startup of the Week: Simplifying Payments, Accelerating Business Growth 💸

Cashfree Payments, one of India’s leading fintech startups, was founded in 2015 by Akash Sinha and Reeju Datta. The emergence of this startup has revolutionized digital payments for businesses of all sizes. With the aim of simplifying financial operations, the company has become a trusted partner for household names like Zomato, Dunzo, CRED, and Lenskart, to name a few.

Essentially, Cashfree Payments provides a robust payments stack that streamlines transactions for businesses. Its no-code solution allows companies to receive payments via WhatsApp, SMS, email, social media, and more—eliminating technical complexities.

Cashfree Payments has over 180 payment modes and ready-to-use ecommerce plugins for platforms like Wix, WooCommerce, and Shopify, making integrations significantly smoother and increasing customer conversions by a whopping 30%. Not only that, it also provides India’s widest Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) options, boosting affordability for customers.

Having partnered with more than 8,00,000 businesses, Cashfree has made a significant impact on the country’s digital economy. A recent remarkable feat for the company (and the startup landscape) is that it secured $53 million in Series C funding from investors like KRAFTON and Apis Partners.

Cashfree focuses on innovation, expansion, and financial accessibility, and aims to become the backbone of digital payments in India (and beyond), facilitating frictionless transactions in an increasingly cashless world.

What do you think about this startup? Share your thoughts! 💭

So far, we’ve discussed how companies like Cashfree Payments are driving innovation and gathered valuable insights that can benefit entrepreneurs at all stages. Another crucial factor for a startup's growth is excellent hiring—and that’s exactly what we’ll focus on next. As a founder, finding talent that shares your vision and can contribute to your mission is essential. Let's dive into why culture and hiring practices play such a pivotal role in shaping your company's future.

Podcast Learnings: Tough Job Market? Here's What You Need to Know

Listening to podcasts feels like getting insights straight from the minds of industry leaders—while seamlessly fitting into our daily routines. I tune in whenever I can—whether I’m walking, running errands, commuting, or taking a break. These intelligent conversations spark ideas and shift perspectives. Here’s one such episode that offers invaluable lessons on hiring, culture, and startup growth.

Recently, I tuned into this enlightening conversation where Divesh Dhawan, founder of Meyrahkee Advisors, shares valuable perspectives on the current hiring landscape and the importance of company culture in startups. Here are some of the learnings that I found most valuable from the podcast.

Culture is Everything

One key takeaway from this conversation is the importance of culture—especially in how startups approach hiring and retain talent. As a founder, it’s essential to understand how to collaborate with GenZ. Rather than focusing on stereotypes like laziness, identify what this generation is uniquely capable of. Embrace their strengths and use them to build your company’s future.

Take, for instance, a 22-year-old social media coordinator I hired in one of my previous organizations. Fresh out of college, she brought in unconventional ideas and a deep understanding of trends that helped us double our engagement within months. Her curiosity, paired with the right cultural fit, made all the difference. This highlights why hiring the right talent, especially among young professionals, can be a game-changer for a growing startup.

Are Startups Hiring Right Now?

Hiring is a clear indication of economic growth. Over the past year, hiring had slowed down due to massive layoffs and company restructuring. However, when asked about current hiring trends, Divesh shared that hiring has improved significantly in the last six months. Still, companies continue to exercise caution.

The trend is clear: mid-senior level roles (5-10 years of experience), particularly manager and senior manager positions, are in high demand. The focus is less on leadership and more on skilled, mid-level roles.

Key sectors seeing the most hiring include engineering, design (especially UI/UX and product design), and demand generation. Additionally, customer success and support roles are blending into one—becoming customer experience positions.

Tips for Job Seekers

Divesh offers some practical advice for job seekers too💡:

• Be selective: Don’t apply to every job you see. Apply only to roles that you’re truly passionate about and align with your skills.
  He suggests this simple practice– go through the job descriptions and apply only to those roles that you can’t say no to. Consider the rest meaningless for you.

• Tailor your application: Customize your resume, cover letter, or portfolio for the handful of roles you are genuinely passionate about. A focused, personalized application stands out much more than a generic one sent to hundreds of job portals.

• Focus on impact: In your applications and interviews, emphasize the impact you’ve made—whether in top lines, bottom lines, margins, or efficiency improvements. Numbers speak volumes to recruiters.

• Culture Fit: During interviews, take the time to assess the company's culture. If it doesn’t feel like the right fit, it’s better to walk away than to join and risk leaving later. Remember, the interview process isn’t just about the company evaluating you—it's also your opportunity to determine whether the organization aligns with your preferences and ideal work culture.

The Importance of Culture (or “Vibe” in GenZ Terms)

Culture, or what the younger workforce often calls the “vibe,” is becoming an essential deciding factor for GenZ when choosing where to work.

For startups, some key signs of a healthy workplace include employee longevity and empathy in culture.

Companies that prioritize empathy and employee well-being tend to have stronger retention rates and more engaged teams, making them great places to work.

These were a few key insights from the podcast that resonated with me, given my professional journey. Tune in to the full episode for more actionable tips and valuable takeaways. 🎧

That wraps up this week’s newsletter! I hope you found some practical insights and strategies to help you move forward in your professional journey.

If you enjoyed reading it, consider sharing it with a friend who might find it useful. I write about startups, businesses, careers, and entrepreneurship—published every Friday.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, feedback, or questions. Feel free to reach out at: saurabh.substack.2407@gmail.com.